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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. root — the cause
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a word
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — all right
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kick — in football
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cell — in biology

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com